Boys’ night in — it’s about getting together with your friends for a little fun, food and drink. Are you thinking of hosting the next boys’ night in, but need a little inspiration? Maybe your friends are tired of the same old, same old every Friday night? It’s time to shake things up with a little help from your iPhone.

Fall and winter are the best times of year for boys’ nights in, so turn on the big game, dust off the poker table and stock up the bar. I’ve selected 4 great iPhone apps to make your next manly gathering the best ever. Themed parties are a great way to make a night in more fun and these apps have enough material to inspire a whole year’s worth of boys’ nights in.

Bond with your friends as you learn to make your own bacon, stock the bar and see who’s the cocktail master and compare knife skills Top Chef style with a chili club. This time of year craft breweries release their seasonal beers, so why not have your friends over for a beer tasting?

Some keys to a successful outdoor party are well-proven. You need good food, good drinks, good tunes and, naturally, good friends. Fortunately, there are apps to help you out with at least three of those (and maybe all four?). Of course, fun entertainment also can’t hurt.

And because you and the other partygoers will be having such a great time, you’ll want to take lots of cool photos that you can edit, jazz up and share with everyone. Here, we present a few top picks that cover all these bases and more. Check them out after the jump. (more…)

Your friends are coming over for cocktails and trying to decide what to serve is completely overwhelming. After finally building up the nerve to try out that hip speakeasy, you don’t recognize half the jargon on the drinks menu. Margaritas every Friday night are getting boring, and you want to try something new. The iPhone app, Food & Wine Cocktails is just what you need to shake things up.

Food & Wine Magazine and Belvedere Vodka have come together to create a sleek, sexy cocktail app designed to inspire your creativity and refine your technique in the area of home bartending. This free app contains 350 drinks, along with 25 Bar Snacks from the pages of Food & Wine Magazine, tips on setting up your home bar, and a dictionary of spirits.

Are you looking to perfect your home coffee brewing technique? Intelligentsia, a coffee bar with locations in Chicago, Los Angeles and New York, seeks to elevate your coffee experience from bean to cup. These guys don’t just sell coffee, they develop blends working directly with growers and they perform the roasting. With the Intelligentsia Coffee app, you can geek out on coffee by checking out the beautifully illustrated brewing techniques, keeping up with the latest seasonal coffees offered and utilizing the brew timer for ultimate brewing precision.

This smart, sleek app also connects you with Intelligentsia via their twitter feed and maps of all locations (with hours). Share your favorite coffee blends from the app on Facebook and find impressions from other coffee lovers (or leave your own) in the coffee comments.

If you know what a Chemex is or carefully calibrate your coffee grinder for the perfect cup of French Press every morning, the Intelligentsia Coffee app was made for you. Did I mention it’s free? (more…)

Do you like tea? That’s kind of a vague question, I know, seeing as there’s such a variety of the drink out there. I personally am partial to the herbal infused types of tea with a smidgen of sugar — not too much since that can sometimes override the taste of the tea itself. There are lots of great ways to make a cup of tea, but what happens when you find that perfect formula? Do you store it in a little “tea book” or something?

If you have an iPhone, then I’m going to introduce a fun little app that will change the way you drink your tea — possibly for the better. It’s conveniently enough called Tea, and is developed by Sail LLC. This little app will give you a way to log your weekly — or daily — brewing and rate it so that you can later find what a perfect cup is for you. Keep reading for my full review. (more…)

Quick Look posts are paid submissions offering only a brief overview of an app. Vote in the polls below if you think this app is worth an in-depth AppStorm review!

In this Quick Look, we’re highlighting DrinkOwl. The developer describes DrinkOwl as the most comprehensive drink special and alcohol retail locator application in North America! With coverage in 70 North American cities (check out Manhattan!) and tens of thousands of specials, DrinkOwl makes sure that you have a good time, for less! DrinkOwl also has the location and hours of almost every retail location in Canada. No more getting to the liquor store one minute late.